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Traditional Mallorcan object

Mariner's box

At a glance

The sailor's chest: his only furniture on board. He kept clothes, tools and personal items on the journey. Mallorca has an important collection in the…

Objects and tools
Traditional Mallorcan object
Words
caixa de mariner, pany, tapa
Events
1
box
box — Museum of Menorca, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/, Museum of Menorca (vía Europeana/CER.ES)

What is

The sailor's chest: his only furniture on board. He kept clothes, tools and personal items on the journey. Mallorca has an important collection in the Maritime Museum of Mallorca (Última Hora, 2021).

How is

  • Wooden box with a lid, often with sloping sides so as not to tip over.
  • Polychromed since the 17th century: interior cover painted with ships, names or dates (Última Hora, 2021).
  • Rope or iron handles; lock.
  • Measurements: to be verified.

How is fa

  • Fuster or mestre d'aixa; painting by the sailor himself or by port painters (to verify).

Com s'usa

  • Under the bunk or in the paddock; seat and table.
  • Travels to America since the 18th century.

Vocabulary

  • caixa de mariner: sailor's chest.
  • tapa: lid; The interior is the painted canvas.
  • pany: lock.

History

  • 17th century: first polychrome caixes (Última Hora, 2021).
  • 18th century onwards: they accompany the journeys to America.
  • 2021: piece of the month from the Maritime Museum of Mallorca.

On veure'n

  • Maritime Museum of Mallorca (Palma).

Why is it design

  • Entire house in a box: furniture of a nomadic life.
  • Private painting: the inside of the cover is the sailor's album.

For the project

Frequently asked questions

What is Mariner's box?

The sailor's chest: his only furniture on board. He kept clothes, tools and personal items on the journey. Mallorca has an important collection in the…

What are the traditional words for Mariner's box?

Some words: caixa de mariner, pany, tapa.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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